The archbishop, who appeared to be unharmed, was escorted out of his office by police and placed on a stretcher. The suspect was led away in handcuffs. He was later questioned at police headquarters and was expected to appear before a magistrate late Wednesday or early today.

Flores was taken hostage around 10 a.m.

His secretary, Myrtle Sanchez, also was held, but she was released less than three hours after the ordeal began.

Before Flores' release, as many as 50 law enforcement officers were at the scene as a crowd of more than 100 gathered outside the Catholic chancery and prayed. About 100 chancery employees had to be evacuated.

The man who took Flores hostage claimed to have a grenade, but authorities said they had yet to determine if the device he carried was a grenade.

Police Chief Al Philippus identified the man as 40-year-old Nelson Antonio Escolero. The El Salvador native, a legal resident of the United States, was upset over his possible deportation for driving with a suspended license.

Escolero allowed Flores to go free, then placed the device on a table and walked out when authorities faxed him the immigration status papers he had requested, Philippus said.

The chief said the archbishop was tired but relieved the situation had come to an end. Flores was taken to the hospital to be checked for possible back problems, but otherwise seemed fine.

''Obviously, we're very pleased with the outcome of this,'' Philippus said. ''God came down and really smiled on us and wrapped his arms around the situation.''

Philippus said Escolero pushed Flores down early in the day, the only physical contact between the two. Escolero said repeatedly during conversations with negotiators that he did not want to hurt the archbishop.

The chief said it was difficult to explain the hostage-taker's motives.

Besides being upset over what he described as mistreatment by government authorities over his immigration status, Escolero also expressed anger over his unemployment and the return of Elian Gonzalez to Cuba.

Previous criminal convictions for Escolero, also known as Carlos Cruz, were non-violent: two charges of possession of marijuana, burglary of a vehicle, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

After being handcuffed and driven away Wednesday night, he faced possible charges of aggravated assault, unlawful restraint, terroristic threat and possession of a prohibited weapon.

Philippus said Escolero apparently wanted to make a statement, but the chief said he couldn't say what that statement was.

''I don't believe that he sincerely wanted to hurt the archbishop,'' the chief said.

Flores, 70, became the first Mexican-American Catholic bishop in the country when he was named auxiliary bishop. While he was not born in Mexico, Flores was a migrant farm worker in his youth and known as friend to immigrants.